Bloomsbury, 23 January 2020

Pb, 336 pp

From the cloud-skimming heights of Tibet's Qinghai railway to silk-sheeted splendour on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, Around the World in 80 Trains is a celebration of the glory of train travel and a witty and irreverent look at the world.

Packing up her rucksack - and her fiancé, Jem - Monisha Rajesh embarks on an unforgettable adventure that takes her from London's St Pancras station to the vast expanses of Russia and Mongolia, North Korea, Canada, Kazakhstan, and beyond. The journey is one of constant movement and mayhem, as the pair strike up friendships and swap stories with the hilarious, irksome and ultimately endearing travellers they meet on board, all while taking in some of the earth's most breathtaking views.

What makes the book is [Rajesh's] wit, astute observations and willingness to try everything ... She arrived at St Pancras, on time, tired and triumphant. Her riveting account of the odyssey leaves us feeling the same, The Times

As Monisha Rajesh triumphantly demonstrates in Around the World in 80 Trains , there's life yet in both the trip and the telling, Daily Telegraph

Delightful ... Rajesh is not only blessed with an elegant style, but is witty and ever ready for a bit of self-deprecation, Spectator